Following the successful opening of ‘Les Niçois’ restaurant, bar, pétanque in the 11th, Luc Sananes and Olivier Chini have expanded to the 9th arrondissement in September 2017 with ‘Le Yacht Club Paris’. They call it a ‘Brasserie de Plage’ and you can see why the moment you walk in.

The ambience immediately transports you to the Côte d’Azur, with a nautical look and feel in a style reminiscent of a beach restaurant. My favourite decoration was the shark head on the wall, but I also loved the retro pictures.

We started our meal with a choice of cocktails from a large selection ranging from €11-16. We had arrived early, which was good, as the restaurant was completely packed by the time our food was served.

The menu is divided into four categories – fish, meat, veggie and dessert. For vegetarians, there are more than half a dozen dishes to choose from. Most items have a Greek-Mediterranean style. All freshly made dishes are tapas-style and shareable so it’s fun to order a selection. Small plates range in price from €9-19 and desserts are €8 each.

We savoured octopus, delicately battered and fried, razor clams à la plancha, croquettes with Iberian ham, mozzarella de bufflonne, zucchini beignets with yogurt and feta, roasted eggplant and homemade fries with truffle oil, parmesan and thyme (this is their house specialty). We also tasted some of the other dishes, as it was just too difficult to choose from so many delicious options.

The restaurant can accommodate large tables of 10-15 people, plus there is an upstairs space, making up a total dining area of about 300 m2 on the two levels. One client was celebrating a birthday on the evening we visited, and what a great place to have a party; with the combined space, they can accommodate up to 100 of your closest friends!

Le Yacht Club is open for lunch and dinner, with brunch on weekends. It is recommended to make a reservation.

Gail Boisclair is a transplanted Canadian who fell in love with Montmartre and has been living there since 2001. She is the founder of PerfectlyParis (www.perfectlyparis.com), a furnished apartment rental company specialising in Montmartre and the surrounding area (8th, 9th, 17th and 18th arrondissements).